Donating deer meat to the needy is irresponsible and potentially dangerous

By Ester Shields, Courier NewsNovember 2006

First of all, this meat is not USDA regulated, inspected or certified. The
meat that is donated has not been grown and fed in a "controlled" environment
like store-bought meat and does not meet stringent guidelines designed to
protect the public.

The deer that are killed graze on lawns and plants that have been treated
with dangerous chemicals. According to a study by Purdue University in 2004,
these pesticides and herbicides are known to cause cancer in certain breeds of
dogs. Earlier research conducted by the National Institute of Health found
elevated rates of canine lymphoma in dogs exposed to lawn chemicals. Deer that
ingest these same poisons are then killed and their meat distributed to the
poor. This doesn't sound very appetizing or safe to me.

If this isn't bad enough, scientists at the University of Kentucky released a
report in January 2006 about finding infectious prions in deer meat. It had been
thought to be only in nervous-system tissue. The infected prions are what cause
Chronic Wasting Disease, (CWD) a fatal form of brain degeneration. Like mad cow
disease, and the human form of the disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob, they are
all caused by aberrant prion proteins. Cooking the meat does not eliminate the
risk of contracting CWD.

Even though there haven't been any reported cases of CWD in New Jersey as of
yet, this does not mean that there aren't any deer with CWD in the state. New
York has reported cases with captive white-tail deer, but recently a wild deer
in Oneida County was discovered with CWD according to the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation. Affected deer from New York can find
their way across state lines. How long before New Jersey will admit to or report
finding the disease.

Other diseases in deer which makes eating their flesh an unsavory proposition
are, Bovine Tuberculosis and Hemorrhagic disease. In some states, metal cadmium
has been found in organs of deer, which is considered a heavy metal and
poisonous. Deer in North America have been known to act as intermediate hosts
and to have suffered clinical effects of toxoplasmosis. Not to mention numerous
parasites and organisms that live in deer.

NORWESCAP is an agency that runs charities that feed the poor. They can't get
their appropriated funds from the state unless they take the deer meat. Soup
kitchens and welfare mothers don't have a choice. In reality, many charities
don't want the deer meat and it is thrown in the garbage. As one legislator
said, "the hunters just want the antlers; why not give the deer to the poor?" Is
this to suggest we give the deer meat to the poor, assuming they'll eat
anything?

It's already an unfortunate situation for the local needy that they rely on
hand-outs and donations to survive. Must they be given food that could make them
fatally ill as well?

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